Holding A Heart
by Rainbow Haired Girl
Summary: MacKenzie Taylor Stone is a struggling artist in Storybrooke, never saying no to anyone and shy. She knows that when Emma Swan shows up things begin to change in a way that is not expected. Everyone is beginning to turn back to what they were before. But is MacKenzie willing to have her memories back before having this life in a hell of a place called Storybrooke, Maine?
1. Chapter 1

Holding A Heart

Rainbow Haired Girl

Summary: MacKenzie Taylor Stone is a struggling artist in Storybrooke, never saying no to anyone and shy. She knows that when Emma Swan shows up things begin to change in a way that is not expected. Everyone is beginning to turn back to what they were before. But is MacKenzie willing to have her memories back before having this life in a hell of a place called Storybrooke, Maine? Not when a certain citizen Mr. Gold has his eyes on her at all times.

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, but I do own MacKenzie.

Authoress Note: I am actually going to keep true to my word this time. I wouldn't post this story until I had quite a bit of it written and I have 10 chapters so far written. So I think I did a pretty good job with that. And I have kept my promise to myself. I couldn't help it. I fell in love with Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time. I just can't help it. For some reason I have a thing for the bad guys. And Mr. Gold is about as creepy and as bad as you can get for fairy tail villains. I know this telling of Once Upon a Time will be much different than what you see and that is the way that I kind of wanted it. But yes Mr. Gold will be getting some love in this story that is for sure. As always when I write stories I tend to do better when I am listening to music which is very much true in this case as well. But I haven't decided if I am going to be splitting this into sections or not. Perhaps my lovely readers will be able to tell me something that they would like to see this either in a series or straight up. I hope that you enjoy this story. I really had fun writing this that is for sure. I am just hoping that my readers will take interest in it. I was careful planning it all out. Without further ado Chapter 1 of Holding A Heart.

Chapter 1

The Curse of Hell

A woman dressed in a silver blue gown and a pale blue cloak hid her features. Her violet eyes were locked onto the sight before her. A marriage between a prince and a princess. They were the type of people that she always swore herself to protect. And this sight that was before her, wasn't something that she would be so willing to miss that was for sure. She always had a thing for happy endings that was for sure. A smile came to her pale silver pink lips.

"I do." Prince Charming said to the bishop.

"And do you, Snow White, promise to take this man to be your husband, and love him for all eternity?" The bishop asked Snow White.

"I do." Snow White said with a smile looking at her husband now.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

The two of them kissed and cheers erupted around them.

The woman clapped her hands together. At least someone else got their happy ending finding their one true love. It was good to see something this good happen in the world. _At least they found their true love._

The door slammed open. The Evil Queen entered the room.

The woman looked at the Evil Queen who wore a smirk on her red lips. _Oh why is she here. She better not be here to cause trouble. _

"Sorry I am late." She said as she crossed the room using magic on those who were trying to stop her.

"It's the Queen! Run!" Doc the dwarf said sounding fairly nervous.

Snow grabbed her husband's sword and pointed it at the queen. "She's not a queen anymore! She's nothing more than an evil witch!"

"No no, no, don't stoop to her level, there's no need." Charming said lowering the sword that his wife held onto. "You're wasting your time, you've already lost. And I will not let you ruin this wedding."

"Oh, I haven't come here to ruin anything." The Evil Queen said with a smirk.

That was hilarious that the Evil Queen wasn't here to cause trouble. The woman knew that the Evil Queen was someone to always causing some kind of trouble. But the woman wouldn't make her move unless the Evil Queen was going to try and take the lives of those two that stood before her. _Trying to be a wolf in sheeps clothing. They aren't going to buy what you are going to tell them. _

"On the contrary, dear, I've come to give you a gift."

"We want nothing from you." Snow bit out. It was true she really didn't want nothing to do with the Evil Queen.

"But you shall have it. My gift to you is this happy, happy day. For tomorrow, my real work begins. You've made your vows, now I make mine. Soon, everything you love, everything all you love, will be take from you. Forever. And out of your suffering will rise my victory. I shall destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do." She turned and began to walk.

"Hey!" Charming yelled.

The Evil Queen turned her head and Charming threw his sword towards her. She disappeared in a cloud of smoke and so did Charming's sword.

The woman quickly got up to her feet and went to leave the ceremony. She was very much concerned of the Evil Queen's threat. She was going to find out if this curse and if she was going to be true to her word. She was worried of what would happen if this curse would happen that everyone would lose their happy endings and true loves. This was something that she could not allow to happen. She was going at least try. _A curse? This will not be good. I have to go and see him. _

The woman walked with a guard down to the cells. Her features were covered by a black cloak. She was going to be meeting someone that she knew fairly well and it had been a little bit since she had last seen him due to the fact that she had to be wandering more often than not and being part of King's courts like she was supposed to do.

"When we reach the cell, stay out of the light, and whatever you do…" The guard said softly, but the woman looked at him sharply.

_He is acting like I don't know what to do? Young ones these days. _"Do not let him know my name." She snapped at him.

The guard jumped. He was not expecting that from this woman that was walking with him.

"I know what I am doing lad. Go back to your post." She said softly. Her finger pointing in the direction he came. _Don't make me use something that I don't want to you on you._

"But Mam…"

_You are going to make me do it. Young people these days. _The woman let out a soft sigh and reached into a small brown pouch that she carried on her and pulled out green dust. She hated this part of who she was. She blew the green dust into the guard's face. "Go to your post. I will meet with you shortly." She told him. _I can only hope that it works long enough for me to talk to him._

He began to walk away from her following the direction that they had come..

The woman dusted her hand on her gown that she wore and began to walk the rest of the way down to the cell. The woman stopped outside of the cell. "Rumpelstiltskin." She called the name in an almost loving way. _Don't make it a mistake love..._

Rumpelstiltskin came climbing down the bars as if he was a monkey. He looked at the woman. He knew who she was by her voice. He cackled at her. "You insult me." He said to her. He didn't like the fact that she

The woman removed the hood of her black cloak revealing long silvery blonde hair and stepped into the light revealing herself to Rumpelstiltskin. _Can't insult him now can I?_

"What do I owe this visit, Mer?" He asked using a nickname that he knew that she answered to.

Mer's eyes locked onto his. "I've come to talk to you on an important matter." She said putting her small hand on the bar gripping it tightly causing her knuckles to turn white.

"You want to know about the Queen's threat." He said with a smile. _Of course she does. She is a mage. She wants to be able to protect when she can._

Mer smiled an almost twisted smile. A smile that would send shivers down the backs of others, but not Rumpelstiltskin. "Naturally, Rummy. Tell me what you know."

Rumpelstiltskin put his hand on the top of hers. "I will tell you free of charge Mer. But I do ask for a favor." He told her.

Mer closed her eyes thinking for a moment. Usually Rumpelstiltskin didn't ask for a favor. He would charge them something, but for some reason he didn't want to do that with her. She opened her eyes and looked at Rumpelstiltskin. "Deal Rummy. Tell me what you know." She demanded softly. She knew that Rumpelstiltskin had to know what the Queen was up to.

"The Queen has created a powerful curse. And it's coming. Soon you'll all be in a prison, just like me, only worse." Rumpelstiltskin told Mer.

Mer's hand tightened more on the bar that she was holding. Her breathing had become shallower, but she continued to listen to what Rumpelstiltskin was telling.

"Your prison. All of our prisons will be time. And time will stop. And we will be trapped, some place horrible, where everything we hold dear, everything we love will be ripped from us while we suffer for all eternity, while the Queen celebrates, victorious at last…. no more happy endings."

Mer closed her eyes. "That was what I was afraid of." She said softly before opening her eyes and looking at him. "There is nothing we can do?"

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. "Nothing."

Mer took a deep breath. "And what is it that you want me to do?"

"Go far away from here."

"Rummy?" She asked confused of why he would want her to get far away from here.

"You need to get far away from here."

"Rummy you know I can't do that." She told him softly. She felt his hand squeeze hers lightly. "I made a vow. You know I cannot break my vow."

Rumpelstiltskin knew what she was talking about. He knew that when she had taken such oaths she never left them. She would not allow herself to be seen as a coward and she was a mage. He knew mages kept true to their word of protecting someone. "It was only a request. And I was just only hoping." He told her. _I was hoping that you would get away. Far away from here dearie._

Mer closed her eyes. "And I wish that I could do as you asked me. I am sorry that I cannot do that."

"Then do me this favor."

She looked into his gaze. "And that would be Rummy?"

"Be careful."

"I can do that." She said with a nod of her head. She took a deep breath. "I should go. Before that powder stops working on the guard."

Rumpelstiltskin squeezed her hand before she pulled her hand away from the bars.

She pulled her hood over her head. "Rummy do me a favor please."

"And what would that be dearie?"

"Please take care of yourself." She said before she disappeared down the hall heading back towards the guard that had brought her down.

"I will…."

Mer stood there dressed in male clothing. She was there listening to what was going on in the room. She was actually surprised when the prince came up to her and asked her to be part of this little meeting.

"I say we fight!" Charming said slamming his fist onto the table.

Mer shook her head. She knew that that was not going to be very possible. _Of course they would want to fight. Naturally. But this curse is most likely set in motion. We are doomed if we try to fight. Do they not realize that she is a strong witch?_

"Fighting is a bad idea. Giving in to one's dark side never accomplishes anything." Jiminy Cricket said softly.

"And how many wards has a clear conscience won? We need to take the Queen out before she can inflict her curse."

"Can we even trust Rumpelstiltskin?" Doc the dwarf asked concerned.

Mer closed her eyes hearing Rumplestiltskin's name. She knew that they didn't trust him, but Rumplestiltskin was always one to bounce around. As long a deal was intact it didn't matter to him. It was the way he worked. It was always him bouncing around between good and evil. _Rummy knows what he is talking about. He knows what will be happening in the future better than anyone else should ever know. Far better than I even could see in. _

"I've sent my men into the forest. The animals are abuzz with the Queen's plan. This is going to happen unless we do something." Charming said.

Snow shook her head. "There's no point. The future is written."

"No. I refuse to believe that. Good can't just lose."

Mer pinched the bridge of her nose. She had seen many times good losing and then they would go to the dark side of things. Something that most of the time could not be helped.

"Maybe it can."

"No. Not as long as we have each other. If you believe him about the curse then you must believe him about our child. She will be the savior." Charming looked up and saw a few of the guards and the blue fairy come into the room. He was confused of seeing a tree stump. "What the hell is this?"

"Our only hope of saving that child." The blue fairy replied.

"A tree? Our fate rests on a tree? Let's get back to the fighting thing." Grumpy said not even caring about the blue fairy's plan.

"Silence." Mer said, looking at Grumpy. She turned and looked at the blue fairy. "Continue." She moved her hand telling the blue fairy to continue on what she was saying.

The blue fairy nodded her head. She knew Mer well and knew that Mer didn't like waiting to hear what others had to say. "The tree is enchanted. If fashioned into a vessel it can ward off any curse. Geppetto, can you build such a thing?"

"Me and my boy. We can do it." Geppetto said ruffling his son's hair.

"This will work. We all must have faith. There is, however, a catch. The enchantment is indeed powerful, but all power has its limits. And this tree can only protect one."

Mer knew that there was going to be a catch with this magic. She closed her eyes. "It will work…" She said softly before leaving them to discuss what was to happen next. She wasn't needed for this. She would be waiting for her fate to come to her.

Mer looked out her window of her home. She saw the curse heading their way. The green and purple smoke was nothing to miss that was for sure. She could only wish that this place that they were going to be in wasn't going to be as bad as what Rumpelstiltskin had told her it was going to be. Mer gripped onto the wooden staff that she had. There was no way that her magic would be able to protect her. She fell away from the window when the smoke bursted through her windows causing her to fall to the floor. _I am sorry that I couldn't get away like you wanted me to Rummy…_

A woman with mid length silver blonde hair tied into a braid covered with a hat, and wearing very worn clothes with paint splatters on it was walking through town keeping her satchel close to her. She skittishly went into Granny's Bed and Breakfast. She sat further away from anyone due to her being shy. And the seat happened to be the closest to the door.

Granny walked over to her with a cup of coffee. "Mac it's good to see you in here." She told the young woman.

_Why did she have to come to me and talk to me. She knows that I am scared of people. _Mac licked her lip nervously. "I-It's good to be back." She said softly not looking at Granny.

"You really do need to come in more. We thought that you were dead for a while with how busy you have been lately."

_Of course she would say something like that. I really don't have time for that. I have so much work to do. Painting and working on metal pieces in the smithing company. I just don't have time for it. _Mac nodded her head nervously knowing that it was true. "I promise I will."

Granny placed her hand on Mac's hand and patted it lightly. "I know you try to keep true to your promises." Granny removed her hand and went back to work to allow Mac to enjoy her coffee.

_I know that she is going to keep me to my word, but with all of the work I have to do. It isn't going to be easy. _Mac poured a little bit of sugar into her coffee and stirred it. She brought it up to her lips and took a sip of the black liquid.

A blonde haired woman entered Granny's.

"You're out all night, and now you're going out again." Granny told her granddaughter.

Ruby threw her hands up into the air. "I should've moved to Boston."

"I'm sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the Eastern Seaboard."

_Nothing has really changed since the last time that I was here. _Mac stopped drinking her coffee when she felt someone there. She turned her head just a little when she saw Mr. Gold standing next to her. She nervously bit her lip and reached into her back pocket. She knew why Mr. Gold was standing there next to her. _Always on time to collect rent from me._ She pulled out her worn leather wallet that had the money that she owed Mr. Gold. She shyly handed it to him. "It's all there, Mr. Gold." She said softly. _Please let him not hike up my rent again for something I did in the smithing company..._

Mr. Gold smiled and took it from her. "I hold it to you dearie that it is all there. I want to talk to you about something later before you leave here. If that is alright."

_Oh no, what could I have done this time? Please don't let him know that I fainted at work again for over working myself just to pay for the rent and the items I need for painting. He won't be pleased if it happened again. _Mac shyly nodded her head.

Mr. Gold walked past her and walked to where the blonde haired woman revealed her name was Emma Swan. "Emma… what a lovely name."

"Thanks." Emma said looking over her shoulder at Mr. Gold.

Granny hands him the money that she owed him. "It's all here."

Mr. Gold took it without counting it. "Yes, yes, of course it is, dear. Thank you." He told Granny. "Enjoy your stay Emma." He said before walking over to Mac. "I want you to stop by the shop." He told her squeezing her shoulder lightly. _I have to build her confidence up. She shouldn't be the weak one in this town. Regina always has her in a hard place. Time to bring her out of it._

Mac nodded her head. She didn't trust her voice at that moment.

Mr. Gold left the building.

Mac went back to her coffee. She didn't like the attention that she had just gotten from Mr. Gold. Normally he wouldn't touch her shoulder. _I wonder what that was all about. He has never touched my shoulder like that. _

"Who's that?" Emma asked curiously.

Ruby peaked through the curtains watching Mr. Gold. "Mr. Gold. He owns this place."

"The inn?" Emma asked still confused.

"No. The town." Granny told her. "So. How long will you be with us?"

"A week. Just a week."

"Great." Granny handed Emma an old-fashioned key. "Welcome to Storybrooke."

Emma went up to her room.

Ruby looked at Mac and looked quite wolfish at her. "So Mr. Gold has taken interest in our resident artist."

Mac blushed. _What gives her the idea that Mr. Gold has taken a liking to me? It's not possible is it? Mr. Gold would never like someone like me. A coward like me… I wouldn't fit in very well for women that he should be with._

"Ruby." Granny warned her.

Mac slowly got up to her feet and placed the money down onto the table not even finishing her coffee. "Thank you Granny." She said softly before rushing out of the inn. She began to walk towards Mr. Gold's pawn shop. She wasn't sure of what he wanted, but she was going to have to try and figure out why he would want her and she was going to have to figure it out soon. Perhaps this was something that dealt with her art work and nothing else.

Mac stopped outside of Mr. Gold's and took a deep breath. "Come on girl. He's not going to hurt you. You haven't done anything wrong." She whispered to herself as she went through the door. She saw that Mr. Gold was waiting for her.

"Wonderful that you could come dearie." He said offering her a smile. _Just like I thought you would. You can never say no. _

Mac nervously looked at him. "You wanted to see me sir?" Her voice gave away that she was nervous.

"Yes, dearie. I wanted to know if you could do a painting for me."

"Sir?"

_Of course she is nervous and confused. She needs to become stronger. I am going to have to teach her not to be so afraid of me. _"I want you to do a painting." Mr. Gold told her again. _I know she isn't hard at hearing. She shouldn't be none too surprised that I am commissioning her to do a painting. Her work is good. I wouldn't have asked her to do a painting if she didn't do good work. Her vases are exceptional. _Mr. Gold thought to himself.

Mac bit her lip. "Of what sir?" _This is weird he never asks me to paint anything for him. He usually asks me to design his vases. _She thought nervously.

"Something that will go lovely in my dining room. I am trusting your judgement, Miss Stone." He said giving her a smile. _Because you are good at art and you don't trust your own judgement. This will be your first step to not be so afraid of me._

Mac nodded her head. "Yes, Mr. Gold." She said softly. She was still surprised that he was trusting her judgement for artwork. She knew that she could do this and made it worthwhile.

"And dearie?"

"Yes?"

"It will lower your rent."

Mac nodded her head.

"Now run along dearie. Wouldn't want to disturb you from relaxing before you begin your work on that painting."

Mac bowed her head and left the pawn shop. _He is counting on me. _She thought to herself. It surprised her to know that Mr. Gold was trusting her with a valuable piece to go into his dining room. She would make it as glorious as she could. All she had to do was channel classical style art to do this painting right. Then Mr. Gold would be happy with it.

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This is the end of the first chapter. I know Mac is a lot different than Mer, but it was just an idea after all. Yes, you will be finding the meaning behind Mer's name soon enough and who she really is. Mac will be getting a backbone soon. She will be more calmer around people and fitting in and not so socially awkward. I won't tell you how soon though that she gets the guts to stand up for herself. Please let me know what you think of this and I will be updating soon with the next chapter. Just have to edit it and make sure that it flows good like this chapter did. Until next time.


	2. Chapter 2

Authoress Note: I am glad to see that you all enjoy this so far. Thank you to all of the people following and reviewing this. Sorry that it took me so long to get this edited. I had a problem opening the file. I finally was able to get this file to open and being able to edit it all up. And I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well. It is a little bit smaller than the first chapter, but that's okay though. I liked how this chapter did come together though. Most of it is original. Very original. And that is what I enjoyed about it. I hope that you enjoy it as well. Without further ado Chapter 2 of Holding A Heart.

Chapter 2

Trouble

The next morning Mac was out and about heading towards the store to get her paints to begin working on what Mr. Gold wanted her to work on. She accidentally ran into Emma Swan. _Oh just perfect. I ran into the visitor on the first day of them being here. That is the one thing that I didn't want to do. I hope I didn't hurt her. That would be bad._ She scolded herself in her mind. She really did hope that she didn't hurt the visitor that was visiting their town. "I am so sorry." She said softly. Her cheeks were flushed.

"It's fine." Emma said with a smile. "Emma Swan." _What is wrong with this girl? She is so timid._ Emma thought to herself. She was hoping that this woman wasn't a shy one. But then again with what she saw, she knew that this woman was.

"MacKenzie Stone. People usually call me Mac though." She said rubbing the back of her head. Hopefully she isn't like the others who make fun of my name.

"It is nice to meet you Mac." Emma said holding out her hand for Mac to shake it.

Mac cautiously shook Emma's hand. "Nice to meet you to Emma." She said shyly. Mac looked at her wrist watch. "I have to go. Work won't get done if I am not in the craft studio. See you around Miss Swan." She waved a little wave before continuing on her way.

_What an odd girl._ Emma thought to herself.

Mac walked into Granny's Diner with her bag of paints that she had bought. She took a seat shily ignoring the fact that people were giving her odd looks again. But then again she was dressed in clothes that had paint spatter on them. She really didn't see the fact in wearing clothes that weren't covered in paint. There was really no point in with her trying to change clothes when she was just going to be going back in changing clothes back into what she had worn before to continue painting.

Henry walked by with Emma. "Hello Ms Stone." Henry said with a smile.

Mac felt her cheeks warm. "Heading to school?" She asked softly.

Henry smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, Ms. Stone."

"You have a good day."

"I will and you too Ms. Stone." Henry said with another smile. _I wonder who she is._ He thought to himself.

Mac watched the two of them leave. Mac shook her head lightly. _That boy is going to get himself into some trouble._ She thought to herself, as Ruby came over and put the drink down before her.

"Here you go Mac." Ruby said offering the young woman a smile.

Mac smiled a small smile. "Thanks." She said softly. Hardly above a whisper. She added what she needed in her coffee and took a small sip of the hot liquid. She closed her eyes thinking about what was to come during that day and it was going to be interesting when she delivered the painting to Regina and then would begin working on Mr. Gold's request that he had wanted.

"Hey I was wondering…"

Mac looked up at Ruby with wide eyes. What was she going on about now?

"I was wondering if you would like to have a girl's night? Just the two of us? I mean I know we don't get to do much together, but this might be a good chance to do something fun?"

Mac bit her lip. "I dunno…"

"Oh come on it could be fun."

"Sorry Ruby. I really wish I could, but I can't. I have paintings to work on."

Ruby let out a soft sigh. "You are always working."

"I know, but it is the only way that I can pay the rent."

"Okay maybe later."

Mac nodded her head. "Yeah."

Ruby went right back to work leaving Mac all by herself again.

Mac knew what Ruby was trying to do. Ruby was trying to get her to open up. But so far it hadn't worked.

Mac looked at the painting that she had just finished. She cocked her head to the side allowing her silver blonde braid to fall over her arm. She brought her thumb up trying to make sure that it was perfect. She poked her tongue out between her pale pink lips and then grinned. Finally it was finished. _Took me long enough. Madam Mayor would be upset if I didn't finish it on time like I told her I would._

She then put her page boy hat on her head and touched her art work. At least it was dry for the most part. She had some time before she had to deliver the painting to Regina. As much as she hated that woman she knew that Regina would pay a good amount for her work. It helped pay her bills that was for sure.

She looked at the clock. She had an hour before she had to show up to Regina's. She sunk down onto her couch. She tiredly rubbed her eyes. Soon she would have to leave and hopefully Regina would pay her the right amount. Regina at times had tendencies to skip out on a payment and she never fought back against her. She was scared of that woman that was for sure. That was why she never fought back against that woman. Why fight back against someone that you feared more than anyone else in that town.

Mac made her way towards Regina's home. She heard slightly raised voices. Something that was odd for her to hear indeed.

Mr. Gold began to walk away from Regina.

Mac bumped into Mr. Gold and dropped the painting. Mac felt her face flush. _Oh! This is really embarrassing._

"Miss Stone." Mr. Gold said in surprise. He was not expecting her to be wandering when she took real pride in her work.

"I am so sorry." She apologized to him.

"It is fine Miss Stone." He said to the young woman.

Mac let out a sigh of relief in her mind. She was glad that she wasn't in trouble for bumping into him. That was always a bad thing when things like that happened. She would always get scolded. She hated being scolded. _Well that went well. Very well._

"Just be careful Miss Stone." He said before he continued on his way.

Mac nodded her head and then went to check her painting. She let out a sigh of relief thanking god that the painting had not been ruined. She picked it up and went towards Regina. "Madam Mayor."

Regina looked at the silver haired blonde who held onto the painting that she had requested. "Oh good Miss Stone. I thought you would have been late with the painting."

Mac looked down shyly. "No mam."

"Let me see it." Regina said looking at Mac in the eyes.

Mac turned the painting over and showed it to Regina.

"Good good. Glad to see that you followed what I told you to do."

"Yes, mam."

Regina pulled a check from her pocket and handed it to her. "There you go."

"Thank you mam." She knew that she wasn't going to get a thank you from Regina. _As always I never get a thank you from that woman. Oh well. Should I really care? There is no point in getting into a fight with that woman._

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This is the end of chapter 2. I know that it is kind of a short chapter, but there was really nothing that I could do about that. Usually short chapters don't happen often, but they do happen. I hope that I will be updating soon with the next chapter, but I am working on the Second Daughter at the moment and have started a new story that is all about Doctor Who. But it will be a series of course. Until next time.


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